[version] pre-release version bump

doc/changelog.markdown

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Lombok Changelog
 ----------------
 
-### v1.18.43 "Edgy Guinea Pig"
+### v1.18.44 (March 11th, 2026)
 * FEATURE: `@Jacksonized` now supports both Jackson2 and Jackson3; you'll get a warning until you configure which one (or even both!) you want lombok to generate. [#3950](https://github.com/projectlombok/lombok/issues/3950).
 * BUGFIX: On JDK25, `val` and `@ExtensionMethod` could sometimes cause erroneous errors (in that you see errors but compilation succeeds anyway) using javac. [#3947](https://github.com/projectlombok/lombok/issues/3947).
 * BUGFIX: `@Jacksonized` + fields marked `transient` would result in those transient fields being serialised which is surprising (and thus undesired) behaviour. [#3936](https://github.com/projectlombok/lombok/issues/3936).

src/core/lombok/core/Version.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2009-2025 The Project Lombok Authors.
+ * Copyright (C) 2009-2026 The Project Lombok Authors.
  * 
  * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
  * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ public class Version {
 	// ** CAREFUL ** - this class must always compile with 0 dependencies (it must not refer to any other sources or libraries).
 	// Note: In 'X.Y.Z', if Z is odd, its a snapshot build built from the repository, so many different 0.10.3 versions can exist, for example.
 	// Official builds always end in an even number. (Since 0.10.2).
-	private static final String VERSION = "1.18.43";
-	private static final String RELEASE_NAME = "Edgy Guinea Pig";
-//	private static final String RELEASE_NAME = "Envious Ferret";
+	private static final String VERSION = "1.18.44";
+//	private static final String RELEASE_NAME = "Edgy Guinea Pig";
+	private static final String RELEASE_NAME = "Envious Ferret";
 	
 	// Named version history:
 	//   Angry Butterfly